Training Is Paramount

Training and education are an important part of your business. It keeps you and your workers up-to-date with the latest industry trends, which translates into money. The better trained and better educated your work force, the better off you are when it comes to competing for jobs, especially in the lucrative low-voltage market.

Training and education are not restricted to learning new ways and means of installing complex datacomm equipment. Of course, electricians must know the Code and many know it inside and out. But never perfectly. Any job can produce a surprise, which is why, I’m happy to say that our Code columns—Charlie Miller’s “Code in Focus,” Mark Ode’s “Code Applications,” Creighton Schwan’s “Code Comments” and George Flach’s “Code Q & A”—are by far the most popular part of our magazine. You never stop learning and our four experts are here to help.

And in a matter of weeks, one of the most-anticipated, far-reaching certification-testing programs will become available to the industry. C-STAR (Certified Systems Technician, Accredited Registered) will allow electricians who have undergone classroom and on-the-job training to receive a comprehensive certification for low-voltage installations through soon-to-be implemented testing. Four years in the making, C-STAR is sure to be a hit with end-users who seek certified and well-trained workers to install quality low-voltage systems. To get the details, read Kellie Speed’s article, “Getting Friendly with C-STAR,” on page 24.

Let’s not forget safety training and education, an important part of your company’s business plan. A safe job site not only protects your valued workers, it ultimately saves you money. Lost time due to injury, workers’ compensation, OSHA violations and other safety-related issues can all eat into your bottom-line. For a tutorial on how to blend the traditional “toolbox” safety talk with Internet learning, see Joe O’Connor’s “Safety Training in the 21st Century” on page 124.

A safe and educated work force. What more could a customer ask for? EC